Papers sue Google for taking content

Claiming that snippets of news articles appearing on Google News violated its copyrights, a group representing Belgian newspapers wants $77.3 million in damages.
The Belgian copyright defense group Copiepresse has actually been chasing Google since April 2006 over the way it caches newspaper content for Google News, but the group is now demanding up to $77.3 million in damages. An initial lawsuit that ended in September 2006 and was upheld in February 2007 after an appeal already determined that Google must cease reproducing snippets from Belgian papers, which it complied with, but the latest court document demands that Google cough up hard cash for the portions reproduced.
“We strongly believe that Google News and Google Web search are legal, and that we have not violated Copiepresse’s copyright,” said Google spokesman Gabriel Stricker, according to CNet. “We consider that this new claim for damages is groundless, and we intend to vigorously challenge it.”